Air-ship.



PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908.

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PATBNTED AUG. 11, 1908. O. O. OLSEN.

AIR SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12, 1907.

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O 89 0. c. OLSEN. AIR SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.12, 1907.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed December 12, 1907. Serial No. 406,234.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLE C. ()LsEN, R, ritizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State oiMiehigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Ships, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relntes to air ships, and has for its object ,to provide :1 ship of" this kind embodying certain novel features of construction to be l'iei'einelter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure .1. is an elevation of the invention partly in section. Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sec- Lionel Views on the lines 2-2 and 3--3, respeetlvely, of log. l. log. t isnn enlarged sectional detail. Fig. 5 n plan view showing a modified form of air ship. Fig. (5 is :1 central transverse sectional view thereof.

The main body of the ship shown in Figs. 1 to 4, is a, balloon comprising u oyliildlirul skeleton frame tapered at its ends and provided' with a cover to form the gas retainer.

The skeleton frame eoinprises conical-shaped ond-ceps connected by longitudinul plates 11. On the outside of these plates are secured stiffening plates 12, whieh are bout u at the middle to form n strengthening ri 12) running their entire length. The cover is secured between the plates it and plates 14 extending parallel thereto, by means oibolts 15 passing through the plates and the fabric of which the cover is innde. That portion of the fabric embraced between the plates is doubled {LS indicated hi to. The plates 14 are also bent outwardly ntthe middle to form at strengthening rib 17 which also serves as means for nttnehing'one end of the internal l'JliliBC-WllOS to be hereinafter described. Near the ends ol the balloon ore secured external circunlferentinl blinds 18.

Adjacent each end of the bnlloon 21 re rompertments 19 and 20 arranged one above the other. Theirompz'u'tments ll) contain the machinery for propelling the balloon, and also the devices for operating the steering gears, to be hereimti'ter described. The movement ol the ship is dir rled from the compartment 20, a suitable sourre of (our muniention between said coniportint-n1 nod crnnportment 19 being provided. To the outside of the shell 21 whirh forms the walls of the compartments are secured angle-bars 22, and to the root 235 of the"roinpnrtlnonts are secured ungleduirs 2 t ior bracing the some. The compartments are supported by heavy nbles or wires 2r; ronnected at one end to the ribs :7 of two of the plates 14 at the top ol the bnlloon, and of the other end to the nngrledntrs 122 eneirrling the shell 21. ()n the inside o! the lmlloon is n ounted n (onl'rnl longitudinal easing" which extends throughout the entire length of the balloon and eonnnunirntes will: the compartments it) This (usin is in three sections which are in axial olinenn-nt. lne ol these sections, indirnted nl' L7, extends between and is rounerriwi .-1t its ends to the roof 128 of enrh ol the eompurtmonls oi the ends of the balloon. VAnolher section, indicated at 27, is smt 'u'otl at one end to one of the easings 10 and art the other end to the roof 23 ol the compartments at one end of the billloon, as shown in Fig. l. Th third section is secured ih :i like manner to the casing 10 and the roof of the roinpnrtinent the other end ol' the balloon.

()n the outside of the casing sections is nnnmted nsleevo 28, .rhich is in torn-sections, ouch ol" which hes n redinlly extending flange 28! These sleeve sortious ore held in place on the casing by menus oi or series of rings 30 fitting on the outer ends ol the [hinges '29. To the llnnges 2t) nro ronnoetml one end of internal l)[':Lt(-\\'ll(" ill, the other end of said wires being ronnerl'ed to the ribs 17. Between the (ourpurllnents, the balloon is also brnced by Wli'os P2 i-onnecl'ed at their ends to the ribs 1? ol' the plates t l at the top and lho bottom of the bulloon, respectively. I

At enrh end of the balloon u driving propeller 213, the shnl'l til ol' whiz-h is mounted in the cosine sortion 27. The propellers are driven iinlopi-inlonlly by on engine in tho respw-livrmonpnrtinouts ll) at the ends of tho olloou, the shafts 23-! extending into said -ompurl nn-nts, and being connected lo the engines in any suitable ninnnor.

;'\l)u\'o the top ol the bulloon, near each end thereof, are arranged lifting propellers f3 which are also driven by the engines 35. The shells $37 of these propellers are nnninted casing 41.

in casings 38 extending from the roof of the compartment 19 to the top of the balloon, said casing being secured at one end to the roof, and at the other end to one of the bands 18.

At each end of the balloon, above and begear 42 which meshes with a similar gear 43 on a shaft 44 mounted in a casing 45, extending from the compartment 19 to the Within said compartment the shaft 44 is provided with a hand wheel 46 for turning it, whereby the rudders 39 are operated to steer the balloon sidewise. The casing 41 extends to one side of the casing 27 a in order to clear the same.

At each end of the balloon on both sides thereof, are rudders for guiding the ascent and descent of the balloon. These rudders are blades 47 presented in a horizontal plane and secured to a shaft 48 mounted in a casing 49, extending horizontally through the balloon, and secured at its ends to one of the bands 18. On this shaft is a bevel gear 50, which meshes with a bevel gear 51 on a shaft 52 mounted in a casing 53, connected at its ends to the casing 49, and to the shell 21, respectively. The shaft 52 extends into the compartment 19 and is fitted with. a

'- hand wheel 5.4, whereby the rudders 48 are operated.

Thevarious casings herein described are provided -with suitable bearings for the shafts, and means are also provided for supplying a lubricant to the shafts.

The air ship shown in Figs. 5 and 6 com prises a air of balloons 55 arranged side by side an constructed in substantially the same manner as the balloon hereinbefore described. Between 'these two balloons is mounted a platform 56 which carries the en gines for propelling the ship. The platform is secured to the lower longitudinal plates 13 of the balloon frame. The upper longitudinal plates of the two balloons are connected by arches 57 which carry suspension rods 58 connected to the platform 56. balloons are also connected near their ends by arches 57 Each balloon has a driving propeller 59 at each end, and also lifting propellers 60, and between the balloons at each end are arranged rudders 61 for steering the ship sidewise, and rudders 62 for guiding the ascent and descent of the ship. These rudders are mounted on suitable shaftsextending between and secured to the balloon frames, and having operating rods which extend to the platform 56.

The

shafts 68 having a driving connection with engines 69 mounted on the platform 56. One engine is provided for driving the lifting propellers at one end of theship and another engine drives the pro ellers at the opposite end of the ship, the shafts and gearing connecting these sets of pro ellers being arranged accordingly. At t e middle of the balloons on the inner sides thereof, are casings 70 through which the shafts 65 extend to the main shafts 63.

For thesake of lightness the yarious shafts may be made hollow, and wherever it is possible aluminum will be employed in the con struc tion of the ship.

I claim 1. A balloon comprising a cylindrical skeletonframe tapered at its ends, said frame consisting of end-caps, and parallel plates extending between and connected to said caps; and a cover secured between the plates.

2. A balloon comprising a cylindrical skeleton-frame, said frame consisting of endcaps, parallel plates extending between and balloon comprising a cylindrical 4. A balloon comprising a cylindrical' skeleton-frame, said frame consisting of endcaps, and parallel plates extending between and connected to said caps; a cover secured between the plates; a tubular member extending lengthwise through the interior of the balloon and connected to the end caps; and a series of braces connected to said member and to the aforesaid plates on the inside of the cover.

5. An air ship comprising a cylindrical skeleton-frame consisting of end-caps and parallel plates extending between and connected to said caps; a gastbag secured between said plates; a tubular casing extending lengthwise through the interior of the balloon and connected to the end-caps, a

shaft mounted in the aforesaid casing; prothere between, driving-propellers at the ends In testimony whereof I aflix my signature of the balloons, lifting propellers above the in presence of two Witnesses. balloons and a pair of rudders mounted be- Y I tween the balloons at each end thereof, one OLE OLbEN' 5 member of each pair of rudders being pre- Witnesses:

sented in averticel plane, and the other rne1n FRANK MCGUIRK, her being presented in a horizontal plane. HARRY D. HANSEN. 

